Ongoing Support for Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse

Ongoing Support for Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse

Monday 19 February 2018

The National Association of Community Legal Centres (NACLC) has today welcomed the announcement by the Federal Government that knowmore will be provided with ongoing funding to support survivors of institutional child sexual abuse access redress under the Commonwealth Redress Scheme.

knowmore, established in 2013 as a program of NACLC, is a legal service initially established to provide free legal help to people engaging with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The Government today announced that from 1 July 2018 it will provide knowmore with an additional $39.7 million over three years.

“We welcome the Government’s recognition of the need for ongoing support for survivors and of the expertise of knowmore as a trusted and specialist community legal centre in providing that support” said Nassim Arrage, Chief Executive Officer of NACLC.

“knowmore is an excellent example of what properly funded trauma-informed community legal services that employ lawyers, social workers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement advisors can do to support people” Mr Arrage added.

“Over the life of the Commission, knowmore worked with over 8,600 people. This funding will ensure we can continue this vital work so that survivors can be provided with quality trauma-informed advice and support as part of the Commonwealth Redress Scheme” said Warren Strange, Executive Officer of knowmore.

“With this funding we expect to support survivors by helping them to understand their rights and options and will work collaboratively with the Government and other services to ensure survivors can access the support they need while engaging with the Commonwealth Redress Scheme” he said.

“We also expect that knowmore will play a key role in responding to the 189 recommendations made by the Royal Commission” he added.

“The Commonwealth Redress Scheme is a key part of Australia’s ongoing and shared responsibility for a community-wide failure to protect children from institutional child sexual abuse and for the ongoing suffering experienced by survivors” said Mr Strange.

“As part of this, we look forward to all State Governments and other organisations responsible for the institutions in which children suffered sexual abuse matching the Federal Government’s commitment and leadership by participating fully in the Commonwealth Redress Scheme” he noted.

“The work of knowmore is important and we look forward to supporting survivors accessing the Redress Scheme as a tangible means of recognising the wrong they have suffered, and assisting them to access the services they need” Mr Strange concluded.

For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:

Nassim Arrage, NACLC CEO, 0408 092 256

Warren Strange, Executive Officer knowmore, 0488 448 182

The Attorney-General’s media release announcing the funding is available here:

NACLC acknowledges the traditional owners of the lands across Australia and particularly acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, traditional owners of the land on which the NACLC office is situated. We pay deep respect to Elders past and present.